The Return of Ethan Cooper
by Dr. Michaela Quinn
Summary: Ethan returns and takes the children with him to San Francisco while the children and Michaela aren't all that close yet. Actual story this time


**A/N: In the show Ethan Cooper returned to the show twice; once in the early seasons promising to take the children to San Francisco with him and that never happened. He didn't run off with the church's money because Dr. Mike and Sully found him. Then in season four Ethan and his second wife returned to take Colleen and Brian back with them.**

One day Colleen was outside milking the cow when she heard footsteps. She stopped the milking and stood up. When the moving stopped, she walked towards the door and peaked out, but didn't put herself in the way to be found. Many times the soldiers would come to the homestead looking for Indians. The man she saw standing there was tall and gangly and alone.

"Pa!" Colleen exclaimed and ran out of the barn towards him. He grabbed her and hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"That's what I want to discuss with Matthew. Come on. Where is he?" Ethan asked. Colleen looked around.

"He's probably inside with Dr. Mike and Brian." Colleen replied. Ethan looked at her with a funny and confused look.

"Who is Doctor Mike? Colorado Springs didn't have a doctor last time I was here." Ethan replied. Colleen got really excited.

"Oh Doctor Mike is the woman who tried to help Ma, but she died from the rattlesnake bite anyway. She left us to Doctor Mike. We've been with her for over a month now." Colleen said and then paused. "Brian calls her Ma." Ethan is taken back by this.

"Come on Colleen. Your Ma may not be alive anymore; but I'm your Pa and I want to take you back to San Francisco with me. You, Matthew and Brian." Ethan smiled wide. Colleen smiled and rushed to the door. She opened it and saw Brian sitting at the table with Matthew. Ethan didn't walk up to the door with her because he didn't want to be seen right off.

"Where is Doctor Mike?" Colleen asked.

"She's writing a letter to Grandma." Brian replied.

"What are you so excited about Colleen?" Matthew asked.

"I have good news!" Colleen exclaimed. Doctor Mike walked over laughing. She hugged Colleen.

"You just came in from milking the cow. What could be so exciting about that?" Doctor Mike paused. "Then again, I've never milked a cow. Maybe it's a dying art that's exciting." She walked away from Colleen and Colleen laughed. She tried to stop herself so she could talk but then she just ended up coughing. After about a minute or so she was able to speak.

"It's not the cow. It's Pa." Colleen said. Matthew looked at her.

"What about Pa? He left us. I don't want to see him ever again. If I ever see him I think I would punch him."

"Well that's unfortunate Matthew." Ethan said from behind the door. Just then, he walked over and took off his hat. He smiled. "Matthew, Brian." He looked at Doctor Mike. "Ma'am."

"Hello." Doctor Mike said and walked over to the table.

"I've come for my children. I recently learned of my wife's death and I want to help ease the transition for them to come live with me." Ethan said. Brian stood behind his chair.

"No. I want to stay with Doctor Mike." Brian stated.

"Come on Brian. I'm your Pa. We're family." Ethan said calmly.

"But Doctor Mike is our Ma now." Brian explained.

"She took us in when Ma couldn't be here and you didn't want to be." Matthew stated looking down at the table.

"Now you can't keep that against me forever Matthew." Ethan exclaimed. Colleen beamed standing by her Pa, but wasn't saying anything. "I want us to be a family again. Like we were before."

"I don't trust you." Matthew said blatantly. Doctor Mike was a little nervous herself. From what Charlotte had said about Ethan, she wasn't sure she should trust him.

"Mr. Cooper, your wife left your children in my care when she died. She didn't ask for you. I believe it's best for them if they stay with me." She said. He looked at her and smiled.

"That's awfully nice of you, Doctor Quinn, but they are my children and I plan to take them to San Francisco with me." He paused. "We leave first thing in the morning on the stage."

"What about their clothes and their belongings? You can't expect them to have everything packed and put on the stage." Dr. Mike tried to reason. Ethan looked at her.

"I'm sure you can find something to do with their things. We are going to get all new things for them when we get to San Francisco. Colleen, last time I was here you wanted a new dress. You can finally get that." He said. Colleen smiled, but then looked at Doctor Mike and that smiled faded.

"I already got a new dress Pa. Doctor Mike has gotten me a lot of new dress material since she's been here." She said.

"Well wasn't that nice?" He asked and looked at her. "Thank you for taking care of my children while I was away, but now I'm back in the picture and I'm taking my children with me to San Francisco." Ethan looked at Brian. "There are so many exciting things that I want to show you and Colleen when we get there Brian."

"I still ain't goin." Matthew stated. Doctor Mike, Ethan, Brian and Colleen looked at him.

"You have to go Matthew." Brian replied. Colleen took a strand of hair out of her mouth.

"It's going to be different this time Matthew. Pa's making up for lost time and what he did with Ma. Can't you tell he's changed?" Colleen questioned smiling at Ethan. Matthew looked at him.

"No, I can't tell no change. And I just know I ain't going with him and you can't make me." He walked out the front door.

"Matthew!" Doctor Mike exclaimed.

"I'll go talk to him." Ethan said and walked out the front door after him. "Matthew?" Matthew turned around to look at him.

"Go back to wherever it is that you came from." Matthew motioned towards the homestead. "You are promising Brian and Colleen the world and you can't give them anything but heartache. Leave them with the good memories they have of you. Because trust me there aren't many." Matthew stated.

"I'm trying to make up for that." Ethan said.

"Yeah right." Matthew crossed his arms. "Look, I can't stop you from taking Brian and Colleen, but I don't want to go and I don't have to." Matthew exclaimed and stormed away from the homestead. He ran past Sully and almost knocked him over without even realizing it. Sully walked towards the homestead and saw a man that he didn't recognize but he walked into the homestead anyway to see if Doctor Mike could tell him what was going on.

**To Be Continued! =) **


End file.
